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Afghan spinner is first signing made by Stuart Law, Middlesex’s new coach, since his arrival at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2019Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Afghanistan’s teenage spinner, has been signed by Middlesex for this season’s Vitality Blast campaign.Mujeeb, 17, is the first signing made by Stuart Law, Middlesex’s new coach, since he arrived at Lord’s in January, and comes in the wake of his impressive displays for Brisbane Heat in this season’s Big Bash in Australia, where he has picked up 12 wickets with a best of 3 for 16.He has so far claimed 54 international wickets in all formats, having made his Afghanistan debut at the age of 16, and in February last year he became the youngest bowler in ODI history to claim a five-wicket haul, against Zimbabwe in Sharjah.In the course of his international baptism, Mujeeb has formed a burgeoning spin partnership with his team-mate Rashid Khan, and in T20Is, his economy rate in is an impressive 5.07.”It is with great pleasure to say that Mujeeb has agreed to play for Middlesex in the Vitality Blast,” said Law. “His unique style of spin has proven to be difficult to play against and his record is outstanding in this format.”I’m sure the staff and players at Middlesex are looking forward to working with him this season.”Mujeeb will be available for the entire Vitality Blast campaign, and will join up with the Middlesex squad in early July to prepare for the tournament.”I’m very pleased to sign for Middlesex for the Vitality Blast and it will be very exciting to play at Lord’s again,” said Mujeeb. “I hope we can be successful as a team.”

After the disaster at Abu Dhabi, nothing short of exemplary would lift Pakistan’s spirits this series. The man to fit that adjective was Yasir Shah, who finished with the second best figures by a Pakistan bowler in Test history, his 14th wicket in the match securing parity in a series against New Zealand. It took under seven overs and 30 minutes after tea to see the New Zealand tail off, ensuring Pakistan wouldn’t have to bat again as they triumphed by an innings and 16 runs.Yasir had four when New Zealand came out to bat after tea seven down. After Hasan Ali cleaned up Henry Nicholls – a beauty that ripped through the bat-pad gap and smashed into off stump, Yasir took centre stage again. He toyed with Neil Wagner in an over where he did everything but dismiss him, and came to finish the job next over. Wagner and Boult fell within three balls of each other, and Pakistan had their win.New Zealand had come into the fourth day with the foundation of a good partnership behind them. But they would have known that decent, good, or even big partnerships weren’t going to be enough to get them out of this predicament; they needed gargantuan contributions built over several hours of sweat and toil. To that end, they failed almost instantly; with just 15 added to Monday’s score, Latham was adjudged to have nicked behind to Sarfraz Ahmed the very ball after he brought up his half-century. There was, arguably, some misfortune to his dismissal, with several feeling his bat had hit pad rather than ball before it fizzed through to the keeper. It was telling how close the call was: Paul Reiffel, the on-field umpire, went upstairs to double-check. Even that second opinion, however, didn’t quite guarantee the correct decision.It wasn’t the most exciting session. Both sides were playing solid, if somewhat pragmatic, cricket. Taylor and Henry Nicholls batted with the knowledge of a pair who knew the wicket was easier than it had been yesterday, while Pakistan rotated the bowlers around to break up any rhythm, trusting a wicket was around the corner. There weren’t too many chances created, but every so often, Bilal or Yasir would produce vicious side spinners, to which the batsman could only stick out their bats and hope it didn’t clip the edge of the stump.It wasn’t to be, though. A deep square leg positioned by Sarfraz to guard against Taylor’s impetuous sweeping found himself in the game. Bilal Asif had tossed one in that looked too short to sweep, and when Taylor went for it anyway, it carried straight to the man, another hammer blow to his side’s chances of survival.Yasir made his first impact in the afternoon session when he broke yet another resilient New Zealand partnership, trapping BJ Watling in front to take his first wicket of the day. Until then, the pair had frustrated Pakistan in much the same way as Latham and Taylor had earlier. But just like the partnerships that came before, this one, too, was broken well before it could make the sort of impact that would threaten Pakistan’s dominance here, and New Zealand were suddenly down to allrounders and tailenders.Colin de Grandhomme’s absence of a solid defensive technique against Hasan was exposed pretty quickly, as he swung across the line to a straight ball that clattered into off stump. Ish Sodhi’s resistance didn’t last, either, and with half an hour still to go before tea, it appeared Pakistan could wrap this up in time to make this the final session of play.But Nicholls, who was instrumental to New Zealand’s win in Abu Dhabi for the partnership he struck with BJ Watling, was up for the fight again. Before this series, he had only two half-centuries against sub-continental teams – both against Bangladesh – but there is enough evidence of a strong character to suggest a stomach for this format. He was cleaned up for 77, and there, the last safety catch against a Pakistan win had been unloosened.It was only right for Yasir to have the last laugh. Few men have dominated consecutive days in Test cricket as Yasir did here in Dubai, ripping through New Zealand as records tumbled in his wake. No Pakistan bowler has ever better the 14 wickets he took in this match, with only one person to keep him company on that figure. That man? Imran Khan. It’s hardly shabby company.

ScorecardUmesh took seven wickets in 12 overs to run through Kerala, scuttling them for 106 all out in 28.4 overs. Faiz Fazal then steered Vidarbha’s reply with 75, taking them to 171 for 5 in 45 overs, with the lead standing at 65 runs.Kerala’s position was ameliorated by late strikes, when Sandeep Warrier accounted for Fazal and Atharva Taide, while Basil Thampi ensured nightwatchman Rajneesh Gurbani’s stay lasted only six balls. Vidarbha were in command at 170 for 2, but lost three wickets in 2.2 overs, including Taide off the last ball before stumps.Fazal had won the toss and put Kerala in on a spicy pitch at Krishnagiri Stadium in Wayanad. This was the same venue where Kerala had beaten Gujarat in the quarter-finals, with no team scoring more than 185 and seamers accounting for 34 of the 38 wickets that fell to bowlers.Jaffer had come into the game with 969 runs, and though he was out for 34 to a good catch at slip by KB Arun Karthik, it was enough to take him past 1,000 runs in the season. It was exactly ten years after he had made 1260 runs for Mumbai in 2008-09, and even at almost 41 years old, Jaffer showed that he was well up with modern memes in acing the #10YearChallenge.On the day though, Vidarbha’s batting was held together by the other veteran in the team. Fazal’s strokeplay on a pitch that offered something to seamers was compact and assured. His wicket did precipitate a mini-collapse, but Vidarbha’s lead in what is potentially a low-scoring game is already significant, and they have the assurance of unleashing Umesh in the second innings.Kerala’s batsmen had failed to handle Umesh’s pace and hostility in the first innings, and among the top order, only captain Sachin Baby (22) reached double figures. Vishnu Vinod, batting at No. 7, hit out to score 37 not out, adding 25 runs for the last wicket with MD Nidheesh while farming the strike. That stand took Kerala into three figures, but they couldn’t go much beyond that.Umesh’s latest performance came on the heels of his nine-wicket match haul ” target=”_blank”>against Uttarakhand in the quarter-finals, for which he was named the man of the match. He hadn’t been available for Vidarbha in the league stages as he was on national duty.Rajneesh Gurbani, who shared the new ball with Umesh, took the other three wickets, doubling his tally for what has been a sub-par season so far. Vidarbha didn’t need to give their spinners any overs, despite the pair of Aditya Sarwate (44) and Akshay Wakhare (27) being their leading wicket-takers this season.
ScorecardShreyas Gopal raises his bat•PTI

Karnataka were left to rue two bad periods of batting that bookended the day. They had been reduced to 30 for 4 after Jaydev Unadkat’s first spell of 7-3-19-3. Their middle order fashioned a recovery, but from 232 for 5, they collapsed again to end the day on 264 for 9.Unadkat made light of losing the toss at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, tearing through a star-studded Karnataka top order. His victims were R Samarth, lbw to the third ball of the match, KV Siddharth, Karnataka’s highest run-getter this season, and Mayank Agarwal, India’s newly minted Test opener.Fellow left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya, the 20-year-old who had made his debut this season, was rewarded for his tight lines and subtle movement with Karun Nair’s wicket.However, captain Manish Pandey came out with positive intent and combined with vice-captain Shreyas Gopal to stabilise Karnataka. Pandey had spent the previous two days polishing his attacking game in the nets, and he brought his full repertoire to the middle, driving and flicking with élan. He got to a half-century at quicker than a run-a-ball, and forced Unadkat to pull back from all-out attack to slightly more in-and-out fields.At the other end, Shreyas was more patient, and showed his batting chops. Pandey looked like he would play the defining knock of the innings, but Unadkat came back after lunch and bent his back to bowl with a bit more pace, getting him to be late on the ball before it thudded into the stumps.The fifth-wicket pair had put on a century stand but at 136 for 5, Karnataka were not yet safe. However, wicketkeeper-batsman S Sharath, playing only his fourth first-class match, showed great composure to string together another substantial stand with Shreyas. While Pandey had chosen to counterattack, both Sharath and Shreyas were more cautious, and built steadily.However, they seemed to have decided that among the Saurashtra bowlers, Kamlesh Makvana’s gentle offspin was the one to target, and that eventually led to Karnataka’s undoing. Makvana had leaked runs at a higher rate than Saurashtra might have liked, but when Shreyas had a lapse in concentration on 87, he missed a ball that went with the angle from around the stumps and bowled him.Karnataka’s lower order seemed intent on following Pandey’s method, but without the accompanying skill to execute it. K Gowtham was out to a casual waft three balls after being reprieved when Unadkat dropped a catch, while both Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun were dismissed slogging across the line.Sharath remained unbeaten on 74, but he now has only No.11 Ronit More for company.

The England coach feels good batting surfaces and quick outfields are needed to sustain the growth of the game, especially with the World T20 set to go standalone

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai02-Apr-2018″It’s entertainment, isn’t it?”Rarely does a coach pose a question of this sort soon after a hiding, of the kind Australia meted out to England in the tri-series final in Mumbai on March 31.This wasn’t a tongue-in-cheek remark from England coach Mark Robinson. Nor was he aiming for hyperbole when he threw the question. He then jogged his mind back to the semi-final of the World T20 in March 2016 in New Delhi, where Australia beat England by only five runs on a slow surface. There, Australia didn’t hit a six in the last 10 overs; England managed two.”Here, it was just the opposite,” he said, referring to the final where a record fourth-wicket stand of 139 between Meg Lanning and Elyse Villani set the tone for a dominating win. Australia’s 209 was the highest T20I total in women’s matches, achieved largely because of 32 fours, the most in a T20I innings. Lanning alone smashed half the number of those fours in her 45-ball 88*.”Australia were absolutely outstanding. They fielded well, and that partnership between Lanning and Villani was outstanding,” Robinson said. “I mean, 120 (129) in the last 10? I mean, that’s how we learn; that’s brilliant. That’s going to bring people in. If I was a young person, I’d want to play such kind of cricket and come [to the stadium to watch].”Robinson hoped he wouldn’t see surfaces of the kinds that hosted the inaugural women’s day-night Ashes Test. He called for conducive batting conditions and quick outfields which could bring about a significant shift in viewership, in a year when the Women’s World T20 is set to become a standalone event.”What you want is the game to give credit to these fantastic female athletes. And I don’t think previously it was the case,” he said. “What you had in this tournament was the groundsmen go out of their way to produce the best surfaces possible, and that’s all you ask for wherever you go in the world. I would like to congratulate the BCCI getting these things right during the tri-series.”Robinson hopes boards would continue to provide conducive batting conditions and fast outfields•PA ImagesIn Robinson’s assessment, the tri-series lent testimony to the ever-increasing prowess of batsmen, who also somewhat benefitted from the new playing conditions that restrict the number of fielders outside the 30-yard circle to four. He cited Megan Schutt’s example to explain what bowlers needed to do to outfox batsmen in such conditions.”In this game, if you keep playing in these kind of wickets, you have to have a big legspinner somewhere, you have to have a yard of pace, you have to have a spinner who can get her fingers around it and the standards will go up, it will have to,” he said. “My criticism of the female game previously was the average wickets we’d play on and the standard of bowling wouldn’t be good enough.”I still feel the standard of bowling in the tournament hasn’t matched the standard of batting, and it will only go up. So the intent for the bowlers would mean they’ll have to hang in there and know what they want to do. Megan Schutt’s bowled really well, hasn’t she? So, you’ll need great changes of pace, or an extra yard of pace or something different. The game of cricket always evolves and we got to allow it to evolve and the bowling will start to catch up.”Robinson felt every team had a few marquee players who had to take it upon themselves to embed this brand of aggressive cricket to make the women’s game more attractive. “It’s about the big players scoring runs, isn’t it?” he asked. “Every team’s got such players. If Lanning got out in that game, it would have been different. But she didn’t, she had a partnership and that’s how she takes the game away from you, doesn’t she?”It’s about your best players: if [Harmanpreet] Kaur comes off, she can win the game by herself, we’ve seen it. The two games we won, we made mockery of two [huge] scores. Danielle Wyatt gets a big one and Nat Sciver does etc. So it’s always about the big players. So the shorter the game is, the less the big players you need, because the shortness of the game allows you to dictate terms.”While he conceded that going down in the final hurt, the “bigger agenda” was to identify the next generation of internationals, many of whom learnt plenty playing in conditions far different to the ones they’ve grown up on.The build-up to the tri-series wasn’t as promising for England, though. A back injury ruled out frontline fast bowler Katherine Brunt, while wicketkeeper-batsman Sarah Taylor was rested to “manage her long-term health.” Their pace bowling resources were further depleted when vice-captain Anya Shrubsole was forced to sit out all five games due to a shoulder strain.Danielle Wyatt’s batting came in for special praise from the England coach•BCCIReflecting on the loss, even as they prepare for three ODIs in Nagpur, Robinson was enthused by Wyatt’s performance. The opener finished atop of the run charts with 213 runs in five matches. Sciver and Tammy Beaumont too propped up much of the batting with half-centuries. He also appreciated the effort of the three debutants on tour.”From a selfish point of view, you’ve seen Nat Sciver look good as anybody in the world. You’ve seen Tammy Beaumont look as good as anybody I’m the world and you’ve seen Danny Waytt beginning to emerge as a cricketer to be feared. That’s really exciting,” he said. “We know we’ve got some bigger players to put back in but we’ve also got one eye on the future as well.”With Sarah, we can’t take her health for granted; Katherine, the age she’s in, we’ve got Lauren Winfield and Georgia Elwis working independently here trying to move their game on. That’s what we are doing. Trying to move our game on.”The upcoming series will be England’s first against India in the 50-over format since beating them in the World Cup final in July last year. Apart from spelling out the mantra for his side, Robinson also put himself in the Indian management’s shoes and felt they needed to “try and extract little more” out of their senior players. The talent among the youngsters wasn’t lost upon him either.”If I was their coach, I would be excited, by the age of them. They’ve obviously got two stalwarts [Raj and Goswami] who need to try and bring a bit more out of them. But India have got so much promise. And sometimes, with the brutality of sport you can only see warts and not the beauty spots,” he said.”If I was coach of that team, I’d need some patience and require my bosses to give me some patience as well, should I want to coach them because they’ve got some exciting talent. The young batters (Jemimah) Rodrigues and the young fast bowler [Pooja Vastrakar] and [Deepti] Sharma, there are a lot of great ages to work with.”

Lachlan Ferguson flew all the way from London to Hobart to watch his brother make his Test debut. What he saw caused him to rush to the exit in exasperation

Daniel Brettig in Hobart12-Nov-2016Let’s say you live in London. You get a call to say that your older brother Callum Ferguson, after years of trying and a pair of serious knee injuries, has been added to the Australian squad for a Test match for the very first time. You don’t know for sure if he’ll be playing, but you book a flight to the far side of the world anyway, just in case.You take the journey, around 20 hours in the air from London to Melbourne, followed by a short hop of around an hour from there to Hobart. On arrival, you find that your brother is actually going to play, making the trip worthwhile but also filling you with plenty of nerves.So you sit and watch things unfold alongside your father. You see your brother presented with a baggy green cap he has been chasing for well over a decade, handed over by his old Redbacks teammate Greg Blewett. You see the coin toss and the news that Australia are to be sent in to bat. You notice the green grass on the pitch, the lushness of the outfield, the dull light and sprinklings of rain. You’re reminded of the country you’ve just flown from.Your brother is set to bat at No. 6, so you don’t expect to be seeing him out there particularly soon. You settle in to watch the openers David Warner and Joe Burns trot out to the middle to start the innings. You see Vernon Philander at the top of his mark, looking calm but eager, in conditions tailored beautifully for his seam and swing.After the first five balls, you think Warner has handled things well enough, but then you see Philander spray his sixth delivery well wide of the stumps, out almost near the return crease. You’re half expecting the umpire to signal wide, but instead you see Warner’s arms outstretched instead, trying vainly to reach the ball and succeeding only in snicking a catch behind and gifting his wicket to Philander. You hear exclamations of surprise and annoyance around you.Next you watch Burns being sized up by Kyle Abbott, a seam bowler who had success against the Australians in the ODI series in South Africa. You know that Burns has just been recalled to the team after being dropped in Sri Lanka, and that his Gabba education should help on tough days for batting against pace. Then you see Abbott jag one back off the seam, much as he did to Aaron Finch in Port Elizabeth a few weeks ago, and see Burns struck on the pad in front, his bat not straight, his head falling over to the off side. You feel slightly nauseous as the umpire’s finger goes up – not all to do with the jetlag.David Warner chased at a wide one from Vernon Philander to start Australia’s collapse•Getty ImagesYou watch Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith scratch around for a while, letting numerous balls sail perilously close to the stumps either side of a brief rain delay. You start to think they might be getting through the worst of it, with just eight runs on the board, when you see Khawaja squared up by a Philander delivery that rears off the pitch and caught in the slips.Not far from where you’re sitting, Adam Voges walks out to the middle. This time last year, you followed the scores from a Test in Hobart against the West Indies, and saw Voges collar 269 not out against a benighted Caribbean side. Now you see Voges take guard, ready himself, then stand motionless at the crease after edging the most perfect of leg cutters from Philander. You don’t think there’s much more he could have done, but then you realise your brother will now be coming in to face a hat-trick ball, with the scoreboard reading 4 for 8.You’re tense and struggling to sit still as Philander rolls in for that ball, sending down a delivery on target that your brother gets enough bat on to keep out. The ball is seaming treacherously, and your brother lets one delivery go that passes more or less over the top of middle stump. The febrile environment in the middle is shown when Steven Smith and Philander collide during the middle of an LBW appeal, sending the bowler off the field for treatment.Watching Philander leave the field with South Africa’s physio, you think that might be a chance for the Australians to find some breathing room. But then your brother, facing his 12th ball, knocks one down into the gully where the substitute fielder Dane Vilas misfields. You sense the adrenaline coursing through your brother’s veins as he turns to try to force a second run, but you also see Vilas’ rapid recovery in chasing after the ball.In a moment that seems to take an age but is barely a couple of seconds, you see Vilas gather, turn and throw in one motion. You see your brother realise he’s suddenly in trouble and shape to dive for the crease. You see the ball fired in low and hard towards the stumps, hitting them as Quinton de Kock jumps up in exultation. You see your brother sprawled on the ground, short of his crease and out in the most maddening way possible. You see an Australian innings in utter chaos, and a team bereft of method or confidence to deal with the prevailing conditions.You’ve seen enough. You throw your hands in the air in total exasperation, stand up and rush past your dad, and walk out through the entrance to the Ricky Ponting Stand – a scene captured by television cameras. You cannot believe your journey around the world has ended in this awful scene, watching the total collapse of a team your brother was rushed into in an effort to fix problems that seem more systemic than personnel-based. You’re not alone.

James McClean sent out a message to supporters after Wrexham ended their 'history-making' season with a win over Lincoln City.

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McClean sends message at end of the 2024-25 campaignWrexham ended the historic season on a highBeat Lincoln City 2-0 in their final gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham, who made history by becoming the first club in England to secure three consecutive promotions to the Championship, ended their 2024-25 campaign on a high as they beat Lincoln City 2-0 on Saturday. Elliot Lee and Ryan Longman were on target as the Red Dragons signed off from League One in style.

AdvertisementWHAT JAMES MCCLEAN SAID

Wrexham skipper James McClean was elated by his team's performances in the history-making campaign as he took to Instagram to share his thoughts. The Irish winger shared a team photo and wrote in the caption: "Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success.” Immensely proud to be part of what is now the history making back2back2back red Dragons."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

On Sunday, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side announced their end-of-campaign awards, where Ollie Rathbone was named the club's Player of the Year. Club legend Paul Mullin was given the Goal of the Season award for his spectacular volley against Blackpool on Boxing Day.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Manager Phil Parkinson has revealed the club's transfer plans are already in full swing, with the manager having "a lot of thinking to do" ahead of their Championship campaign. The Hollywood owners will likely provide another injection of cash to help the Welsh club reach the Premier League promised land.

It’s been a tough season for Arsenal this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side came into the campaign hoping that this would be the year they finally toppled Manchester City in the Premier League, and while they’re six points clear of the Champions, they’re six points behind current leaders Liverpool.

This drop-off is due to several reasons, from suspensions to injuries and a lack of cutting edge in attack, especially from those off the left, like Leandro Trossard, who’s produced just six goal involvements so far.

So, recent reports linking the club with an incredibly exciting left-sided gem should excite the Arsenal faithful, especially as he could get the Belgian firing again.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Club Brugge’s talented full-back, Maxim De Cuyper.

The report has revealed that the Gunners are currently leading the chase for the 24-year-old, but fellow London sides Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on the exciting player.

The report does not mention a price, but given that Brugge’s most expensive departure of all time was the €36.5m – £30.2m – transfer of Charles De Ketelaere to AC Milan and that the left-back is valued at just €12m – £10m – by Transfermarkt, we can’t see this potential deal costing the North Londoners an arm and a leg.

Overall, it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given De Cuyper’s ability and potential, it’s one well worth pursuing, especially as he could revive Trossard.

How De Cuyper could revive Trossard

Now, one of the benefits of signing De Cuyper is that he’s shown over the last few years that he’s versatile enough to play on either side of the defence and even further up the pitch.

However, left-back is his preferred position; therefore, it’ll be those out on the left wing, like Trossard, who will be most affected by him.

Fortunately, the Knokke-Heist-born dynamo appears to be an incredibly gifted attacking full-back, and that’s the reason he’d be able to revive his fellow compatriot out on the left.

For example, in just 24 appearances this season, the promising prospect, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed “one of the best left-backs” around, has scored one goal and provided four assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 4.8 games.

Just imagine how much more effective the Gunners’ Belgian winger could be with the 6 foot full-back hurtling down the pitch, ready to overlap or play a killer pass through the lines for him to get on the end of.

That said, if his raw output from this season isn’t enough to convince you, perhaps his underlying numbers will be.

According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across the next best 14 competitions, the left-footed star sits in the top 1% of full-backs for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, the top 2% for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, the top 3% for attempted passes and the top 7% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area, all per 90.

Ultimately, Arsenal’s left-hand side has been underwhelming so far this season, and while signing a new forward could help, signing a new attacking full-back to get the most out of their current attackers might be an even better idea.

Therefore, Arteta and Co should do what they can to sign De Cuyper as soon as possible.

Arsenal can solve Saka crisis by signing "unstoppable" £60m "machine"

The incredible player could pick up some of the slack for Arsenal amid Bukayo Saka’s massive injury blow.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 24, 2024

Manchester United have now made contact over a potential new forward for Ruben Amorim’s side as they look to rebuild their attack amid significant speculation surrounding potential departures in the coming months.

Manchester United lose again as INEOS chase Dorgu

Yet another defeat for Manchester United under Ruben Amorim has left them languishing in 13th place in the Premier League, having lost three of their last five outings.

Saved by a late Amad Diallo hat-trick at home to bottom of the league Southampton in midweek, there was no such fortune against Brighton at Old Trafford three days later, with Amorim’s side sinking to a 3-1 defeat in which they managed just a single shot on target, coming from the penalty spot midway through the first half.

It means that Amorim has now seen his side lose six of his 11 games at the helm in the Premier League, with only three wins to his name since his arrival after the November international break, and after the match he claimed that this side may well be the worst in the club’s history.

Played

11

Won

3

Lost

6

Points per game

1

Goals scored per game

1.36

Goals conceded per game

1.81

Changes will have to be made both on the training ground and in the transfer market, with a deal for Patrick Dorgu thought to be in the pipeline and now another attacking target on the agenda too.

Man Utd make approach for exciting English talent

That comes as Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has revealed that Manchester United have “expressed concrete interest” in Borussia Dortmund forward Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who has regularly been hittting the headlines in the Bundesliga this campaign.

Still just 20-years-old, the forward was once on the books of the Manchester City academy before opting to follow the path trod by Jadon Sancho and swap the Etihad for Signal Iduna Park, where he has thrived.

Mostly playing off the left hand side, Gittens has grabbed four goals in six Champions League outings, while he has also managed seven goals and four assists in the Bundesliga so far this season, the joint most efforts with Serhou Guirassy for the Black and Yellow.

He has been the subject of significant praise from Football Analyst Ben Mattinson, who dubbed him a star with “electric pace” who has a “lovely ability to use either foot to cross or shoot”.

That form has caught the eye, and the report claims that Bayern, Manchester United and Chelsea are all “considering a move”, though it is likely one that would take place in the summer rather than in the final two weeks of the winter window.

Though he still has three and a half years left to run on his £48,000 a week deal with Dortmund, a move could occur and is even said to be “highly likely” should Dortmund fail to qualify for the Champions League next season, though whether he would be willing to move to another club who likely won’t have Champions League football remains unclear.

With the futures of current left-wing options Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho far from secure at Old Trafford, would Bynoe-Gittens be a smart move by the Red Devils?

Let no one influence you into believing this was a choke.Truth be told, this was a game of high-intensity cricket, fitting of a grand finale. The pressure was immense, and Australia, more skilled and adept at handling big-match temperament – this was their seventh straight final – came up triumphs to clinch their sixth T20 World Cup title and their third in a row.If anyone needed more validation that this is the best women’s cricket team in the planet, it couldn’t have been delivered at a bigger stage. Australia made 156 seem like 180, before their bowlers stood tall on the face of a late assault from Laura Wolvaardt that threatened to take the game away.South Africa needed 59 off 30 balls, with Wolvaardt pumping a packed Newlands crowd with some of the most aesthetically-pleasing shots. Then, much to their agony, she swiped across the line to a full delivery from Megan Schutt and was trapped lbw. South African hearts sank, a teary Wolvaardt trudged off slowly, and boisterous applause gave way to stunned silence.Australia believed and Australia delivered.For South Africa, it was a case of being so near, yet so far. However, even in defeat, Sune Luus & co had done what no other South African senior team – men or women – had done: compete in a world final. This was as bittersweet as it could get.

Dangerous Healy falls early

Four overs in, this seemed a proper arm-wrestle with neither side catching the game by the scruff of its neck. The first signs of drama, that wouldn’t abate for the rest of the evening, came in the fifth over when Alyssa Healy bludgeoned a boundary down the ground, and then saw Marizanne Kapp roar with her wicket to finish the over. That wicket – brought about by spongy bounce that had Healy slicing an attempted cut to cover – laid down a marker: that hit-the-deck stuff was going to be harder to hit than fuller deliveries. Shabnim Ismail then closed off the first six overs with a maiden to have Australia 36 for 1, their slowest powerplay of the tournament.Marizanne Kapp dismissed Alyssa Healy•ICC/Getty Images

Ashleigh Gardner revs up

Sent in ahead of Meg Lanning, Ashleigh Gardner offset any pressure there may have been on Australia with a fierce counterattack. Two back-to-back fours off left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba were followed by back-to-back sixes off Nadine de Klerk, shots that were possible courtesy outstanding footwork and a solid hitting base that allowed her to get underneath proper length deliveries. The attack put the pressure right back on South Africa. And just when Australia were beginning to exert their dominance, Chloe Tryon deceived Gardner in flight to have her caught at long-off for a rampaging 21-ball 29. At 82 for 2 in the 12th, Australia were still in control.

Mooney keeps calm, bats through

It didn’t take long for Beth Mooney to recalibrate her approach. This wasn’t a surface where she could fearlessly belt the ball. Manufacturing shots wasn’t easy due to the slowness; this was the same deck on which both semi-finals were played. But she quietly slipped into the role of an accumulator, allowing the others to take charge, without allowing dot-ball pressure to creep up. As her innings progressed, Mooney manipulated the fields expertly. Traps set for the scoop at short fine leg were just traps, as Mooney reverse-scooped over vacant short third in picking crucial boundaries to ensure Australia didn’t lose momentum.Ellyse Perry, Grace Harris and Lanning fed off this confidence, knowing they had insurance in the form of Mooney, to play their shots. While Ismail returned to pick up two wickets in the final over and concede just two off her last four deliveries, Australia had put up a formidable score. Mooney finished with an unbeaten 53-ball 74, her second straight half-century in a world tournament final.

South Africa’s slow powerplay

South Africa needed a big powerplay to allay some of their nerves that had been a constant feature, and understandably so, right through the game. They limped to 22 for the loss of Tazmin Brits in the powerplay, and allowed stage fright to gnaw at them slowly. It was a bizarre passage too. South Africa had an lbw reprieve, and there were mis-hits, tight bowling and uncharacteristic misfields. The asking rate jumped past 10 and the heat was on.Chloe Tryon celebrates with the crowd after taking a low-catch to remove Meg Lanning•AFP/Getty Images

The run-out that shouldn’t have been

Boundaries had been a rarity in the first six overs, but Wolvaardt’s first two were delightful. The hit down the ground off Darcie Brown as she erred on the fuller side was an on-drive out of the top drawer, as was her skip down the pitch while moving leg side of the ball to wallop an inside-out six off Jess Jonassen. But just when South Africa appeared to be wresting back some momentum, they lost Kapp to a slog and Luus to a run-out, with both her and Wolvaardt nearly stranded at the bowler’s end. At 54 for 3 in the 11th over, their target seemed many moons away.

South Africa believe through Wolvaardt

Wolvaardt had to now put behind her the run out gaffe, and she did so admirably. Without playing a shot in anger, she kept reeling off boundaries, brought up her half-century off 43 balls with one of the most pleasing cover drives, and brought South Africa to within 59 runs of victory with 30 balls left. In Tryon, she had a batter who could bash the ball. The pair put together 55 in 37 balls to keep South Africa’s hopes alive, before they both fell in successive overs to all but extinguish their hopes.

Planned Essex county stint falls through in a setback after allrounder’s breakout Sheffield Shield season

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2023

Will Sutherland, the Victoria fast bowler, faces “a period on the sidelines” after scans confirmed a stress fracture in his lower back. Sutherland, 23, had a breakout Sheffield Shield season, and had signed up with Essex for the County Championship season, but that deal has been cancelled.”It’s disappointing for Will after a fantastic season. He had signed with Essex to go over and play in the County Championship – but this news will keep him at home and working on his rest and rehabilitation programme for the next few months,” Cricket Victoria’s head of male cricket, David Hussey, said in a statement.”He has put his name up in lights with some big performances through the summer and we want him to be ready for next season, so we’ll do everything we can to support him with his injury rehabilitation.”Related

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Taking the aggressive route key to Sutherland's breakout season

On the Essex website, head coach Anthony McGrath said, “It’s really unfortunate that Will has injured himself so close to the 2023 season. We were all looking forward to welcoming him to Chelmsford and we’re sorry to hear he will face a period of time recovering from his stress fracture.”Everyone at the club wishes Will a speedy recovery and we hope to see him back on the pitch soon.”Sutherland topped the Sheffield Shield wicket-takers’ table with 41 wickets in Victoria’s run to the final, which they lost to Western Australia. He’d also stood in as captain during the course of the season.In the final, Sutherland played through pain and put in a big performance, returning 5 for 75 in the first Western Australia innings, and then scoring 83 in 84 balls after Victoria had fallen behind top set a 91-run target, which was easily overhauled.